5 things Grace loves about Sydney

As I said in the last post, it was great having my cousin Grace here for a visit over Christmas and New Years. Here is her guest post on The 5 things she loves about Sydney:

"(1) Yummy food for travellers of any budget is a characteristic of Sydney . The fresh seafood is a delightfully key ingredient from the shops at the Sydney Fish Market, the food courts in Chinatown (or anywhere for that matter) , the fancy Yum Cha restaurants, sushi restaurants, and the fish and chips shops by any Sydney beach.

(2) King Street, Newtown is quite a sight for the senses. Pate on toast at Cafe Latte, art house movies at DENDY cinema, fancy tea at T2, decadent mud cakes, steak pies from the 24 hour bakery, tango-ing at the Toucan Tango, baklava at the Lebanese sweet shop, interesting shops to scour through, get lost at the enormous Gould's bookstore. So many things to do in Newtown, so little time.

(3) An aerial view of Sydney Harbour welcomes the traveller to Sydney. This is best enjoyed after the the aerial view of the Hawkesbury River just north of Sydney. Whether it is the view from an airplane, from various vantage points around the city, or from the ferries, the Harbour never ceases to delight her adoring fans. The iconic Opera House and the Harbour Bridge (affectionately nicknamed "The Coat Hanger") are the accessories that make the Harbour that extra bit unique from other harbours.

(4) Pristine white sand between your toes, the smell of the Pacific Ocean salt, the ocean wind blowing through your hair, and even the seagulls flying a little too close for comfort add to the wonder of walking along Sydney beaches. Manly is a favorite. I once met a fisherman who had travelled an hour by car just to fish at Manly beach. He wore a shirt and tie under his woollen sweater and came complete with gum boots and fishing overalls. Serious!

(5) Shopping in Sydney is a must-do. Everything from shoes to clothes, hats, groceries, books, stationery, kitchenware, linen, flowers, art, knick knacks ... the list goes on. While shopping in the city, keep an eye on the old-style buildings especially in older parts of the city that add to the shopping experience.

So if you do come by Sydney, don't just enjoy the prawn on the barbie (barbecue stove), get out there and enjoy these 5 things that I love about Sydney."

Thanks Grace! The 5 Things I Love about Sydney will be coming soon ~ aussie girl

summer 2007 photos

I've just uploaded a new photo album with pictures from Christmas and New Years festivities, including our family trip away. It was lovely to spend some time with my cousin Grace who was visiting from Brisbane.

summer 2007

many of these photos are grace's. thank you!

new years eve - sydney style!

The NYE tradition in Sydney is that you turn up at a vantage point during the day to secure a good spot with a view of harbour bridge which is the centrepiece of the fireworks displays. You bring a picnic and a blanket, maybe some foldable chairs and you camp out till the first set of fireworks are launched at 9pm. This is the kid-friendly session with the midnight session to follow.

This is how I spent new year's eve, with my sister Melissa, friend Natalie and cousin Grace.

We didn't stay out there all the way till midnight though. After the 9pm fireworks we adjourned to a party at our friends Matt and Elaine's place where we engaged in a Singstar battle (a playstation karaoke game). I think the highlights for me were 'Heaven is a place on earth' and 'Ice Ice Baby'. If I remember correctly, for 'Simply the Best' and 'Uptown Girl' our team achieved the highest honour of 'Totally Singstar'. Our hosts Matt and Elaine said they'd never seen anyone get that before!

Contrast this to new year's eve 2006. Winter in Xining!

• Instead of the comfortable 25 degrees celsius we had here (it's not a hot summer), the temperature was way below zero.
• Rather than being outdoors, we were all cosy in a friend's well-heated apartment.
• For entertainment, Singstar was replaced by Empires (too hard to describe) and we listened to the couples in our group tell stories of how they got together.
• And instead of a massive spectacular fireworks display across the city, we set off our own fireworks in the courtyard of my friends' housing compound.
• I remember standing out there in the courtyard watching the fireworks wearing about 5 layers on top, complete with scarf, gloves and boots. As you can tell from this year's pictures, I was wearing just a bit less than that!

Despite the differences, both NYEs were nice in their own way. Both definitely full of happy and warm memories.

Happy New Year everyone!